by link 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Do you recall?
Can anyone remember when the date of 607 B.C.E. for the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem first appeared in the Societies literature? In discussion with a J.W. he claimed that this was a teaching started by Russell and the Bible Students whereas I believe it was a much later teaching.
Would be grateful for any information.
link
The date 607 predates Watchtower literature. There were a few writers back in the 19th century who started using the dates of 606 / 607 which influenced Russell. I can't remember their names right off hand; but Carl Olof Jonsson does an excellent job in outlining the history of these time tables and their originators in his book "The Gentile Times Reconsidered".
I'm searching my evidence locker for all mentions of 607 in my .pdf files. It's going to take awhile, so I'll have the results in the morning.
Thanks for that,
Will look forward to more info.
link
It was between the years 1879, when the society began, and 1944, that they officially taught the destruction of Jerusalem in 606 BC
The last official mention of that date found in WT literature is in the WT magazine of 1st July 1942.
There was a hiatus of two years when no further mention was made.
Then with the publication of "The Kingdom is at Hand", in 1944, the date was officially changed to 607 BC [see pgs 168,169, 176, 183]
The present publication being studied at the book studies "Revelation Its Grand Climax", makes a half-true statement on pg 105, when it asserts, wih apparent confidence, that this adjustment was made a year earlier in the book The Truth Shall Set You Free" This is only partly true because that same publication split the dates for Jerusalem's destruction in 607, and the start of the Gentile Times in 606 BC, as two seperate dates.
It was only in the next year with the "KIngdom is at Hand" book that the two dates were finally reconciled into the current dating system.
Oddly enough, the "Revelation Climax" puts this adjustment down, not to divine intervention, but to "providence" Come now. Do they believe, like the "pagans" believe, in "providence" ?
Summary: 1879 - 1944.................................. 606 BC.......................... 65 years
1944 - today..................................607 BC..........................63 years
So they have been teaching error for a longer period than they have been teaching "truth" !!!
This same "providence" that the WTS apparently relies on, would have disfellowshipped the first two Presidents of the WTS for teaching error.
Hope this helps
Cheers
I wonder if 607 was in any tied to measuring the pyramids for answers.
I think the reason for 606 then 607 was it was a backwards calculation and they were not aware there was no zero year. When they became aware of the missing year, they either had to change the 606 date or change the 1914 date. Because 606 was based on the 1914 date the solution was set.
Thanks for your replies everyone. Especailly moggy lover - that was good info.
It looks like I was wrong (again!) and the 606/607 teaching was older than I thought. It still does not make it a correct teaching though and I still have to find a JW who can come up with as many lines of evidence for 606/607 as I can for 586/587!
Regards
link
